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Scenario #4: If three Clubs are tied for first place in a Division (or Wild Card) with an identical winning percentage at the conclusion of the championship season and the tied Clubs do not have identical records against one another in the championship season, the tie for the Division Championship (or Wild Card) shall be broken as follows:

If the three tied Clubs have identical records against one another in the championship season, the Office of the Commissioner shall supervise a draw that results in the Clubs' being designated Club "A," "B," and "C."

If the tied Clubs do not have identical records against one another in the champoinship season, they will be designated Club "A,""B," and "C" based on their records in head-to- head competition during the championship season as follows:

[long explanation follows. Basically, if your head-to-head record is better than your opponents, you are given priority to pick your designation as Club "A", "B" or "C".]

Club "A" shall play Club "B" at the ballpark of Club "A" on Monday, September 29. The following day (Tuesday, September 30), the winner of the first game shall be the home Club in a second game, against Club "C." The winner of the game between Club "C" and the Club that won the game between Club "A" and Club "B" shall be declared the Division Champion.

I'm guessing if you assume all other things to be equal, it's preferable to be Club "C" as opposed to Club "A"? But I was wondering if anyone had run the numbers.

Absolutely Club C. HFA is rather small in baseball, and is much less important than only having to win one game instead of two.

In addition, all else being equal, you root for Club B in the first tiebreaker, so you both have to travel to the host city for the deciding game. In reality, the starting pitcher you're likely to face would be a bigger concern.

1. ERA+ 95, 145 Saves - Former Orangeman was a closer for five playoff teams, all with the same club
2. ERA+ 97, 144 Saves - Worst All-Star ever? Was released the season after he made the Midsummer Classic
3. ERA+ 100, 110 Saves - As a rookie starter, tossed a no-no against a future Hall of Famer
4. ERA+ 100, 321 Saves - Tabled games for two World Series clubs, but was accused of "being vacant" and blowing a Game Seven
5. ERA+ 101, 130 Saves - Holds the Yankee record for most consecutive strikeouts, but was primarily an ineffective closer in Minnesota
6. ERA+ 101, 108 Saves - Twice led the league in losses before converting to an effective reliever in Washington
7. ERA+ 103, 131 Saves - Had three seasons of 33 saves or more, including a 45 save season, but never had more than 9 saves in any other season
8. ERA+ 104, 129 Saves - Polydactyled reliever led the league in saves in 2000
9. ERA+ 105, 123 Saves - Single season saves leader in Kansas City A's history, in fact he set a MLB record that year
10.ERA+ 105, 126 Saves - Two-time All-Star in Cleveland produced two big leaguers

1. ERA+ 95, 145 Saves - Former Orangeman was a closer for five playoff teams, all with the same club
2. ERA+ 97, 144 Saves - Worst All-Star ever? Was released the season after he made the Midsummer Classic
3. ERA+ 100, 110 Saves - As a rookie starter, tossed a no-no against a future Hall of Famer
4. ERA+ 100, 321 Saves - Tabled games for two World Series clubs, but was accused of "being vacant" and blowing a Game Seven
5. ERA+ 101, 130 Saves - Holds the Yankee record for most consecutive strikeouts, but was primarily an ineffective closer in Minnesota
6. ERA+ 101, 108 Saves - Twice led the league in losses before converting to an effective reliever in Washington
7. ERA+ 103, 131 Saves - Had three seasons of 33 saves or more, including a 45 save season, but never had more than 9 saves in any other season
8. ERA+ 104, 129 Saves - Polydactyled reliever led the league in saves in 2000
9. ERA+ 105, 123 Saves - Single season saves leader in Kansas City A's history, in fact he set a MLB record that year
10.ERA+ 105, 126 Saves - Two-time All-Star in Cleveland produced two big leaguers

Oops. I misread/misremembered the clue on #9 as being "saves leader in KC A's history," rather than "single-season...." Because I have heard of Jack Aker, but I had never heard of John Wyatt, who compiled 73 saves for KC between 1961 and 1966. And I see he did a nice job for the Red Sox in their "Impossible Dream" season. And then he just fell off the face of the earth--arm problems or something?

From this interesting article ("How (and Why) Athletes Go Broke" by Pablo S. Torre, from the new Sports Illustrated), we get this story:

On a much smaller scale, Torii Hunter and Astros pitcher LaTroy Hawkins recall the story of a former major leaguer from the Dominican Republic whose adviser took care of all his financial matters. One day the player's mail came to the clubhouse and Hunter playfully asked to see it. "It turns out he was paying this guy $5,000 a month on insurance for two cars in the Dominican Republic," Hunter says. "I got three cars, and I only pay $250 a month. He'd been with and trusted this guy [for almost 18 years]!"

Hawkins and Hunter were teammates from 1997 to 2003. And since this was the Twins, the only Dominican teammates they had in those seven years were David Ortiz, Cristian Guzman, and Hector Carrasco. And the only one who was above age 26 at the time was Hector Carrasco, who was 31 in 2003, Hawkins's last year with the Twins.

So...presumably Hunter's original sentence was "He'd been with and trusted this guy since he was 13 years old!".

And apparently Hector Carrasco used to pay $30,000 per year per car for car insurance. Maybe he had twin Batmobiles.

It was even more surprising to find out Dick Vitale was once a coach. And for an team that made Sweet Sixteen appearances! And then in the NBA! Not SUNY-Plattsburgh or Finlandia University or something. I flatout did not believe it. It would be like finding out that Gary Busey used to be a US senator.

[Edited to account for my erroneous belief that Detroit-Mercy was in the Atlantic 10 conference]